What do you think?
Rate this book
Of Shadows and Fire #1
The Burn of the Underworld
"What's happening to me?" I breathed out as I shivered in want.
"You're going into heat," Elijah whispered, his eyes shining liquid blue, his face twisting with restraint. "The mating call is in my blood, too. My control is slipping."
His words didn't make sense, but it no longer mattered. Lust burned through me like wildfire. In its wake, nothing could survive, except my savage need for this archangel.
I must take him raw and hard until he couldn't take it, and then I'd still have him, marking him as mine over and over. He'd beg and scream, but I still wouldn't stop...
Escaping hell is nothing compared to the mating fever. One just feels a lot better.
My name is Calamity.
My past is dust and my future is a life to fight to the death in hell. I never expected this to change, but then three smoking-hot warriors - a primordial vampire, a fae prince, and a Sváva archangel - arrive in my wrecked world, claiming I'm the lost queen and their fated mate.
They come to return me to the great Atlantis to claim my stolen birthright, despite the fact that no one has ever escaped the Underworld.
I don't trust anyone, but I can't deny the terrifying power awakening inside me any more than I can deny my fatal attraction to the immortal males who fight with me.
Warning: This is a full-length reverse harem fantasy romance that features one hell of a hybrid woman warrior and her four powerful mates. It contains battles, explicit love scenes, curses, magic, dark fae, vampires, shifters, fallen angels, and a lot of demon assholes.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 16, 2019
2151 people are currently reading
1611 people want to read
About the author
Meg Xuemei X
119 books2,271 followersMeg Xuemei X is a USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of paranormal and fantasy romance. She loves writing badass heroines and hot psycho alphaholes.
Join Meg’s mailing list for new releases, giveaways, and fun stuff: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
Join Meg’s mailing list for new releases, giveaways, and fun stuff: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
January 19, 2022
Ok but...
This was a good read but there are some things I really don't understand...🧐
So the story takes place in the Underworld. For me, it wasn't very clear if the Underworld is Hell of another hellish dimension because people, well essentially slaves, come to this place in a ship...well, doesn't really make sense for me, anyway...
Then, there is this moment which is very "Hunger Games"-ish when Calamity (I dont' like this name) takes the place of her sick brother to participate to some kind of gladiator's combat in an arena... 🤨 the reference a bit too obvious... And there is this moment when Calamity flees with Max and Ash, abandoning Elijah, whose she just had sex. Why don't they keep in touch with him? And later, Elijah becomes their ennemy? Why? And all the explanation about Calamity's parents fleeing Atlantis for another galaxy...so now is that still fantasy or science fiction...? I don't get it...
There are some inconsistencies in the storyline but maybe everything will be explained in the next book...
This was a good read but there are some things I really don't understand...🧐
So the story takes place in the Underworld. For me, it wasn't very clear if the Underworld is Hell of another hellish dimension because people, well essentially slaves, come to this place in a ship...well, doesn't really make sense for me, anyway...
Then, there is this moment which is very "Hunger Games"-ish when Calamity (I dont' like this name) takes the place of her sick brother to participate to some kind of gladiator's combat in an arena... 🤨 the reference a bit too obvious... And there is this moment when Calamity flees with Max and Ash, abandoning Elijah, whose she just had sex. Why don't they keep in touch with him? And later, Elijah becomes their ennemy? Why? And all the explanation about Calamity's parents fleeing Atlantis for another galaxy...so now is that still fantasy or science fiction...? I don't get it...
There are some inconsistencies in the storyline but maybe everything will be explained in the next book...
May 12, 2019
From the deep South...
Sorry, between the legends of Atlantis under the oceans and Hell, the underworld, that Little Nicky quote kept popping in my head.
Calamity was raised a slave in the underworld. Here demons rule everyone, all other beings are slaves, and her life so far has been tunnels and digging. All that changes when the craft that brings in new slaves arrives with 2 new gladiator slaves and their captor. But appearances aren't everything, because those 3 beings are her salvation and she's actually a queen in hiding.
Spoilers ahead.
This series lacks the charm of the Court series. With a name like Calamity, and leading a slave uprising, I had such hopes. Sadly, those are the most interesting concepts presented in this story. I'm not sure whether this is supposed to be an extension of her other series or not. There are similar beings: vampires, fae, gods/demigods, demons, dragons, ... But the underlying stories are too different, I think. With that issue, that means that there is no world building. The story starts off interesting enough- slave volunteers to fight to protect her sick brother, is discovered by her mates and whisked off. The fleshing out is where the issues lie.
*At 20, and a slave, she's still a child in her thinking. In a world where she'd be exposed to constant violence and brutality, she's too naive.
*The language doesn't flow. Old world, modern slang, they're all mixed up.
*Alpha personalities don't have to be crude. They're supposed to be nobles, in to rescue and woo a future mate. One who's been whipped, branded, starved and abused daily. The things they say to her sound more like teen boys trying to proposition a hooker. They don't have to baby her. But they don't have to talk like the jerks that have ruled over her entire life.
*The underlying slave revolution plot, that runs parallel to the main one, is snubbed by her and her mates. She's all concerned about reuniting with her family, basically giving the finger to the women who risked their lives to save her.
*She goes from a virgin hiding as a boy to attacking the guys like a starved nympho in minutes flat. All because of a "mating heat"? Barely learns names, let alone anything else about these guys beforehand. Considering her life in slavery this seems like quite a leap. Pun intended.
*The cult like reverence of Octavia?/Olivia? and her ladies isn't really explained. At least not on the 70% I made it to before giving up. If the topside didn't know about the underworld, how did the underworld know about them? If no one ever leaves the underworld how do new slaves appear? Where does the Reaper get them?
*The petty fighting between Calamity and Sebastian, her brother, is ridiculous. They're on the run, actively hunted by demons and they're arguing about who dad loved more. Really?
There's more issues I have but those are most of them. The base of the story has potential. It just got muddied really quickly. Then it completely lost me with the petty infighting and crudeness.
Sorry, between the legends of Atlantis under the oceans and Hell, the underworld, that Little Nicky quote kept popping in my head.
Calamity was raised a slave in the underworld. Here demons rule everyone, all other beings are slaves, and her life so far has been tunnels and digging. All that changes when the craft that brings in new slaves arrives with 2 new gladiator slaves and their captor. But appearances aren't everything, because those 3 beings are her salvation and she's actually a queen in hiding.
Spoilers ahead.
This series lacks the charm of the Court series. With a name like Calamity, and leading a slave uprising, I had such hopes. Sadly, those are the most interesting concepts presented in this story. I'm not sure whether this is supposed to be an extension of her other series or not. There are similar beings: vampires, fae, gods/demigods, demons, dragons, ... But the underlying stories are too different, I think. With that issue, that means that there is no world building. The story starts off interesting enough- slave volunteers to fight to protect her sick brother, is discovered by her mates and whisked off. The fleshing out is where the issues lie.
*At 20, and a slave, she's still a child in her thinking. In a world where she'd be exposed to constant violence and brutality, she's too naive.
*The language doesn't flow. Old world, modern slang, they're all mixed up.
*Alpha personalities don't have to be crude. They're supposed to be nobles, in to rescue and woo a future mate. One who's been whipped, branded, starved and abused daily. The things they say to her sound more like teen boys trying to proposition a hooker. They don't have to baby her. But they don't have to talk like the jerks that have ruled over her entire life.
*The underlying slave revolution plot, that runs parallel to the main one, is snubbed by her and her mates. She's all concerned about reuniting with her family, basically giving the finger to the women who risked their lives to save her.
*She goes from a virgin hiding as a boy to attacking the guys like a starved nympho in minutes flat. All because of a "mating heat"? Barely learns names, let alone anything else about these guys beforehand. Considering her life in slavery this seems like quite a leap. Pun intended.
*The cult like reverence of Octavia?/Olivia? and her ladies isn't really explained. At least not on the 70% I made it to before giving up. If the topside didn't know about the underworld, how did the underworld know about them? If no one ever leaves the underworld how do new slaves appear? Where does the Reaper get them?
*The petty fighting between Calamity and Sebastian, her brother, is ridiculous. They're on the run, actively hunted by demons and they're arguing about who dad loved more. Really?
There's more issues I have but those are most of them. The base of the story has potential. It just got muddied really quickly. Then it completely lost me with the petty infighting and crudeness.
June 6, 2019
The cover and the blurb definitely grabbed my attention here. I have read other series by Meg Xuemei X and have enjoyed her word vomit bad A FMC style so I think I was going in with a little higher expectations and walked away a little on the bumfuzzled side. This has to be a spinoff somewhere, there really was just too much though I did feel like we got a lot of backstory and world building dump style. I'll be honest, I was under the impression that this was going to start in the underworld and proceed to a different scene but book oe of this series despite having a super fast paced character/relationship mashup build... was one of the slowest walks through the underworld... ever. So we have some aspects of the story that were really super rushed so much so that the backstory and world building are being dumped on us at an alarming rate as well as alot of insta basically everything. Even the friendships are kind of rushed. And then there is the first leg of the journey here that is basically taking forever..
Let's be honest, is this going to keep me from reading book 2? Probably not.. but it was enough to give me a taste of some whiplash. I mean the story was like insta steam.. the plot is just barely thrown together. For the sake of other series of this author's that I've read I'll definitely give book 2 a chance... probably. All in all this was just ok but the author still has the ability to pull this one out I'm thinking.
Let's be honest, is this going to keep me from reading book 2? Probably not.. but it was enough to give me a taste of some whiplash. I mean the story was like insta steam.. the plot is just barely thrown together. For the sake of other series of this author's that I've read I'll definitely give book 2 a chance... probably. All in all this was just ok but the author still has the ability to pull this one out I'm thinking.
December 21, 2019
Honestly, I had such high hopes for the story, but the writing and follow through failed me. I'm determined to try and finish it, but I'm lost in the muchness of it. The world and background are built at breakneck speed along with "the romance", but the story is lost to all the over done sex scenes. Cursing and filth are fine when done right. However, whether intentional or not, it feels like they are thrown at you to distract you from the actual story. The males don't seem to have any personality of their own, and Calamity herself, seems off. I can't put my finger on it. She just has this "sure whatever" attitude, like none of it matters.
July 3, 2020
I was so excited to start reading this book. The blurb sounded really interesting, like the type of book I love to read. But unfortunately it got worse the more I read. There was absolutely no back story or any character development. We meet the four guys at the very beginning taking about mates and Ayanna and the underworld. I was confused at the lack of any explaining, but I thought it would get better. Nope. It didn’t. The arena fight was probably my favorite part of the book. Especially when Ayanna or Calamity (whichever name they randomly choose to call her) tamed the tiger. But it was super confusing with the constant mention of the little girl in the wild pack. There was no explanation or story for it, it was just kind of there. We also don’t know much about the legend about Ayanna. All we know is she’s a princess and is kind of a hybrid.
Then there’s the Elijah sex part. Oh don’t get me started. I hated everything about it. One second Calamity hates him and thinks he is her worst enemy, then the next they both instantly come down with the mate fever and jump each others bones so fast. Um what? After Calamity just leaves him without a word and that’s the last we see of him. At least things were better with Max and Ash. They at least managed to wait a while, but that mate fever was still there instantly and it was kind of ridiculous with the way they acted from it.
The only think I liked about this book was Amber and Octavia. They are both bad ass fire willed women.
Overall I felt not connection the the story or the characters. Everything was really rushed between the mates, and the writing style isn’t my cup of tea.
Then there’s the Elijah sex part. Oh don’t get me started. I hated everything about it. One second Calamity hates him and thinks he is her worst enemy, then the next they both instantly come down with the mate fever and jump each others bones so fast. Um what? After Calamity just leaves him without a word and that’s the last we see of him. At least things were better with Max and Ash. They at least managed to wait a while, but that mate fever was still there instantly and it was kind of ridiculous with the way they acted from it.
The only think I liked about this book was Amber and Octavia. They are both bad ass fire willed women.
Overall I felt not connection the the story or the characters. Everything was really rushed between the mates, and the writing style isn’t my cup of tea.
February 1, 2020
One and done.
This didn’t turn out quite as expected. I wasn’t all that enthused with the cliffhanger style ending, and the characters were a bit bland and not all that interesting. I found I didn’t have any emotional attachment to them, so I won’t be continuing on with the series.
This didn’t turn out quite as expected. I wasn’t all that enthused with the cliffhanger style ending, and the characters were a bit bland and not all that interesting. I found I didn’t have any emotional attachment to them, so I won’t be continuing on with the series.
June 12, 2019
Must read
I stumbled upon this book from an add and I was not disappointed in the slightest. It has everything I wanted. Sexy men, battles, steamy scenes and suspense. This is definitely a must read book!!
I stumbled upon this book from an add and I was not disappointed in the slightest. It has everything I wanted. Sexy men, battles, steamy scenes and suspense. This is definitely a must read book!!
April 9, 2021
Gotta love a strong capable female warrior as the main character! Did feel like there were multiple aspects of the story that were left without explanation. But if you're reading for the sexy times, you will not be disappointed!
August 8, 2019
Calamity is just a slave in Hell, however, after she fights a trail and ends up winning things get a little crazy for her. She has three guys there who save her and tell her she is someone else and they must get her out of there. But, that is easier said than done.
This book was okay. I enjoyed the heroine a lot, but I felt like this one was too short and not enough information about stuff.
This book was okay. I enjoyed the heroine a lot, but I felt like this one was too short and not enough information about stuff.
August 6, 2019
Distracting
Fine idea but plot elements are rushed. Except for the prologue, it’s all single character first person voice, 100%...all the scene and descriptions, everything... which doesn’t fit the story. There are just certain descriptive observations that might paint a clearer perspective for the reader but don’t make any sense from the character’s POV. The author tries to describe every detail all at once and doesn’t respect the flow of passion in the scene. There are a lot of scatterbrained thoughts and observations that are distracting in the heat of the moment. Although probably necessary, it could have been organized a lot better. Maybe get a new editor? Characters are a bit flat and don’t synergize very well by the end of the book.
Fine idea but plot elements are rushed. Except for the prologue, it’s all single character first person voice, 100%...all the scene and descriptions, everything... which doesn’t fit the story. There are just certain descriptive observations that might paint a clearer perspective for the reader but don’t make any sense from the character’s POV. The author tries to describe every detail all at once and doesn’t respect the flow of passion in the scene. There are a lot of scatterbrained thoughts and observations that are distracting in the heat of the moment. Although probably necessary, it could have been organized a lot better. Maybe get a new editor? Characters are a bit flat and don’t synergize very well by the end of the book.
March 14, 2023
Note: These four books are in one volume called Court of Underworld which does not appear in Goodreads.
The Burn of Underworld (Of Shadows and Fire Book 1) + The Rise of the Underworld (Of Shadows and Fire Book 2)
Calamity is a 20 year old slave in the Underworld. She has been raised by her “father” and “brother.” Residents watch slaves battle in an arena as entertainment prior to gladiators providing the main attraction. Calamity volunteers to fight to keep her brother from being recruited as he is ill and his weakness makes him a prime candidate to be chosen. Her defiance and battle skills make her the target of the reigning demon Emperor but she is claimed by a visiting archangel.
Unbeknownst to Calamity or any of the Underworld denizens, three of her fated mates have made their way into the Underworld to rescue her and return her to her parents.* She escapes with two of the Emperor demon's consorts who recognize her as their promised savior. She manages to unite with two of her mates while the third has joined the demon ranks in pursuit of them.
Calamity, AKA Princess Ayanna, two of her mates, her brother and a surviving consort attempt to reach a portal so they can return to the Upper Realm and bring back an army to rescue the slaves. They come across a brothel run by the demons and she decides to free the women. This forces them to find a safe haven for the women as there are too many to make the dangerous journey.
This detour causes them to miss their chance to reach the portal before it closes. Calamity discovers that her fourth mate was responsible for sending her to the Underworld as a child. Despite her intentions to have nothing to do with him, she is forced to create a bond in order to manifest all of her magic.
They finally escape to the Upper Realm after many battles with pursuing demons and having to meet the demands of the Guardians of the Shades. Neither Calamity nor her parents have forgiven her fourth mate, Merlin, for sending her to the Underworld. He has a couple of self-imposed tasks to complete and disappears.
*Calamity has no recollection of her birth parents yet continually refers to them as “Mom” and “Dad” which seems overly familiar, even disrespectful, since they are strangers for all intents and purposes.
The Dragonian’s Witch (Shifter’s Witch Book 1) + The Witch’s Consort (Shifters Witch Book 2)
This is about when Calamity’s parents Ares and Freyja meet. He is in search of the First Witch and doesn’t realize that she and the wolf girl are one and the same. Of course his and her personalities clash. She pretty much leads him on a wild goose chase without revealing who she really is. She is attempting to reach the Empress of Mysth in the hope that she will be able to reverse the curse that causes Freyja to kill people with her touch. Ares is immune. Freyja and Ares finally succumb to their mutual attraction and fight side by side to keep her from being captured by the Dark Lord. The second book keeps harping on the importance of the superior children they will have yet apparently Calamity is their only child.
The Burn of Underworld (Of Shadows and Fire Book 1) + The Rise of the Underworld (Of Shadows and Fire Book 2)
Calamity is a 20 year old slave in the Underworld. She has been raised by her “father” and “brother.” Residents watch slaves battle in an arena as entertainment prior to gladiators providing the main attraction. Calamity volunteers to fight to keep her brother from being recruited as he is ill and his weakness makes him a prime candidate to be chosen. Her defiance and battle skills make her the target of the reigning demon Emperor but she is claimed by a visiting archangel.
Unbeknownst to Calamity or any of the Underworld denizens, three of her fated mates have made their way into the Underworld to rescue her and return her to her parents.* She escapes with two of the Emperor demon's consorts who recognize her as their promised savior. She manages to unite with two of her mates while the third has joined the demon ranks in pursuit of them.
Calamity, AKA Princess Ayanna, two of her mates, her brother and a surviving consort attempt to reach a portal so they can return to the Upper Realm and bring back an army to rescue the slaves. They come across a brothel run by the demons and she decides to free the women. This forces them to find a safe haven for the women as there are too many to make the dangerous journey.
This detour causes them to miss their chance to reach the portal before it closes. Calamity discovers that her fourth mate was responsible for sending her to the Underworld as a child. Despite her intentions to have nothing to do with him, she is forced to create a bond in order to manifest all of her magic.
They finally escape to the Upper Realm after many battles with pursuing demons and having to meet the demands of the Guardians of the Shades. Neither Calamity nor her parents have forgiven her fourth mate, Merlin, for sending her to the Underworld. He has a couple of self-imposed tasks to complete and disappears.
*Calamity has no recollection of her birth parents yet continually refers to them as “Mom” and “Dad” which seems overly familiar, even disrespectful, since they are strangers for all intents and purposes.
The Dragonian’s Witch (Shifter’s Witch Book 1) + The Witch’s Consort (Shifters Witch Book 2)
This is about when Calamity’s parents Ares and Freyja meet. He is in search of the First Witch and doesn’t realize that she and the wolf girl are one and the same. Of course his and her personalities clash. She pretty much leads him on a wild goose chase without revealing who she really is. She is attempting to reach the Empress of Mysth in the hope that she will be able to reverse the curse that causes Freyja to kill people with her touch. Ares is immune. Freyja and Ares finally succumb to their mutual attraction and fight side by side to keep her from being captured by the Dark Lord. The second book keeps harping on the importance of the superior children they will have yet apparently Calamity is their only child.
May 17, 2019
I had such hope for this read, but unfortunately, it was not for me. The cover of this book is what drew me in, the blurb sounded interesting and the premise was fascinating but the story just did not deliver all that I hoped it would. There were a lot of holes; the characters were contradictory in actions, mannerisms, and reasoning and the story just did not flow well. I felt there was too much the author was trying to pull together and achieve in the storyline so a lot of stuff felt disconnected with no real world building or true explanations.
***SPOILERS***
Calamity was kidnapped as a child and taken to the Underworld with her brother where she had to pretend to be a boy to survive or suffer a horrible fate in the brothel or worse. She was branded, abused, starved and forced to hide who she was but when her brother, Sebastian, was gravely ill she volunteered to take his place in the demon’s underground gladiator arena. Up to this point I am on board with the story but then when her supposed mates jump into the fray to help and whisk her away that is where it starts to fall apart for me. For starters, she immediately jumped the bones of one of her rescuers, not know his name or anything about him, she actually thought he was the enemy. He had a cool demeanor and rough, dismissive attitude towards her so you did not really know whether he was friend or foe? All the sudden these courtesans jump into the picture out of nowhere and there was not really proper background or a flowing explanation for them? Calamity seemed extremely young and naïve for all that she had endured up to this point. She seemed clueless to everything around her, including men and sex and that did not really match up. With all she would have been exposed to, constant fear hiding as a boy, brutality, all she would have seen in her environment, the constant fear of death or worse, etc. she should have been more hardened and grown in her character. Also, the actions and conversations with her intended mates did not match the characters. They acted more like a bunch of randy teenagers trying to get in her pants than the experienced, noble warriors who had come in search of their chosen and rescue her. I got that the story was supposed to revolve some around the mating heat they would experience when finding their destined mate, but it seemed to have taken over the entire story and the rest of the plot vanished. It was all about the constant need to have sex, where to have it, when to have it, etc. Then the constant childish bickering between her and her brother was a bit much as well. They were supposed to be on the run, life and death situations, fighting for their lives and he was whining about their father loving her more, teaching her stuff, etc. Just a little over the top.
***SPOILERS***
Calamity was kidnapped as a child and taken to the Underworld with her brother where she had to pretend to be a boy to survive or suffer a horrible fate in the brothel or worse. She was branded, abused, starved and forced to hide who she was but when her brother, Sebastian, was gravely ill she volunteered to take his place in the demon’s underground gladiator arena. Up to this point I am on board with the story but then when her supposed mates jump into the fray to help and whisk her away that is where it starts to fall apart for me. For starters, she immediately jumped the bones of one of her rescuers, not know his name or anything about him, she actually thought he was the enemy. He had a cool demeanor and rough, dismissive attitude towards her so you did not really know whether he was friend or foe? All the sudden these courtesans jump into the picture out of nowhere and there was not really proper background or a flowing explanation for them? Calamity seemed extremely young and naïve for all that she had endured up to this point. She seemed clueless to everything around her, including men and sex and that did not really match up. With all she would have been exposed to, constant fear hiding as a boy, brutality, all she would have seen in her environment, the constant fear of death or worse, etc. she should have been more hardened and grown in her character. Also, the actions and conversations with her intended mates did not match the characters. They acted more like a bunch of randy teenagers trying to get in her pants than the experienced, noble warriors who had come in search of their chosen and rescue her. I got that the story was supposed to revolve some around the mating heat they would experience when finding their destined mate, but it seemed to have taken over the entire story and the rest of the plot vanished. It was all about the constant need to have sex, where to have it, when to have it, etc. Then the constant childish bickering between her and her brother was a bit much as well. They were supposed to be on the run, life and death situations, fighting for their lives and he was whining about their father loving her more, teaching her stuff, etc. Just a little over the top.
March 10, 2020
e. It wasn't what I was looking forward to. I've read books with angels,demons,supernatural creatures etc. Trapped in the underworld, earth, above earth,different dimensions etc. Even if the stories are similar the majority of the time what I've read had something special in it to make it stand out. I feel like that was an aim in this book and it could've been spectacular but it never reached potential. To many things were happening and none of them have came to fruition. There's a next book but this one didn't end on a cliffhanger. Something could've been solved or pulled together better.
SPOILERS
we've got two seers Merlin and Raven. Merlin easily explainable but Raven is supposed to be meeting Clarity for her to save the underworld. Clarity isn't following that path so Raven left them a prepared cave and the stuff they need to continue a journey that works against her ultimate goal. However didn't stay an extra two days. Clarity's mates are trying to push her one way and keep saying the same thing over and over again about getting her to the UpperRealm at this point it's just a constant repeat. Clarity's mates knew she was in the underworld and her parents are desperately trying to find her but didn't give then a heads up to be waiting on her. Her first mate who is part of a deep connection with her, didn't know when she escaped the castle. She's an integral part if the story but nothing surprising has happened to her at this point. Her and her mates are in a state of arousal so profound they can't concentrate but they're able to fight battles. Who was Xavier really? I mean I don't think he was the kidnapper but he obviously knew who Clarity was. The book says only archangel can handle Angel blades but the women are able to use the ones they pick up off the guards. It also says that anyone can kill the demons with an angel blade obviously we know which one is true but there's conflicting information later in the story after Clarity explains they can be used to kill demons. That's not everything going on. Just a few things. This is all just jumbled together. It's not cohesive.
SPOILERS
we've got two seers Merlin and Raven. Merlin easily explainable but Raven is supposed to be meeting Clarity for her to save the underworld. Clarity isn't following that path so Raven left them a prepared cave and the stuff they need to continue a journey that works against her ultimate goal. However didn't stay an extra two days. Clarity's mates are trying to push her one way and keep saying the same thing over and over again about getting her to the UpperRealm at this point it's just a constant repeat. Clarity's mates knew she was in the underworld and her parents are desperately trying to find her but didn't give then a heads up to be waiting on her. Her first mate who is part of a deep connection with her, didn't know when she escaped the castle. She's an integral part if the story but nothing surprising has happened to her at this point. Her and her mates are in a state of arousal so profound they can't concentrate but they're able to fight battles. Who was Xavier really? I mean I don't think he was the kidnapper but he obviously knew who Clarity was. The book says only archangel can handle Angel blades but the women are able to use the ones they pick up off the guards. It also says that anyone can kill the demons with an angel blade obviously we know which one is true but there's conflicting information later in the story after Clarity explains they can be used to kill demons. That's not everything going on. Just a few things. This is all just jumbled together. It's not cohesive.
May 10, 2019
With a name like Calamity you would think she would be a walking disaster, but you'd be wrong. She is strong, fierce, determined, true, loyal, daring, generous, and a warrior woman. She fights for who and what she believes in from the very beginning and doesn't let her fear hold her back. This is a personality trait I have come to appreciate in all of Meg's books. Her female characters aren't the typical damsel in distress, but they do like to be rescued if it's convenient for them. I love the change from wanting to be saved by the men to wanting to kick them in the teeth. It's such a realistic contradiction.
Then you have the men...While there are four mates for Calamity, you really only get know two of them very well in this one, Ash and Max. The other two, Elijah plays a small yet very sexy part, and Merlin is mostly mentioned in passing. One thing I have to say about these men is that they are all very different. They each have different ideas on how to treat Calamity, and they have different nicknames for her. I really appreciate this because it makes it easier for me to keep them separate while reading the story. I also appreciate that they are all different types of mythical/supes with unique abilities. The interactions between them are a beautiful blend of sexy, funny, and sweet, with plenty of heat. And while Calamity feels that she can trust them, and she is drawn to them on an elemental level, she doesn't shy away from standing up to them.
I am always down to read a steamy RH story, but Ms. Xuemei X delivers so much more than that. The steamy scenes just add to the exciting adventure her characters are on. There is beautiful world building, lots of battles against the evil ones, and complex characters that have tiny quirks that make them endearing and believable. Those are the things that keep me coming back for more and leave me sad when I reach the end of the book. I already know that this is going to become another series that I will read over and over again.
Then you have the men...While there are four mates for Calamity, you really only get know two of them very well in this one, Ash and Max. The other two, Elijah plays a small yet very sexy part, and Merlin is mostly mentioned in passing. One thing I have to say about these men is that they are all very different. They each have different ideas on how to treat Calamity, and they have different nicknames for her. I really appreciate this because it makes it easier for me to keep them separate while reading the story. I also appreciate that they are all different types of mythical/supes with unique abilities. The interactions between them are a beautiful blend of sexy, funny, and sweet, with plenty of heat. And while Calamity feels that she can trust them, and she is drawn to them on an elemental level, she doesn't shy away from standing up to them.
I am always down to read a steamy RH story, but Ms. Xuemei X delivers so much more than that. The steamy scenes just add to the exciting adventure her characters are on. There is beautiful world building, lots of battles against the evil ones, and complex characters that have tiny quirks that make them endearing and believable. Those are the things that keep me coming back for more and leave me sad when I reach the end of the book. I already know that this is going to become another series that I will read over and over again.
July 5, 2019
Disappointing
I want to preface this with: I don’t hate the book.
There are some elements to this story that if taken more time to develop and more editing they’d be amazing. The summary for this book hooked me and I was all for it. However, at best Calamity is a mary-sue godmodding the entirety of the book. The book starts off good, but by the time you get to the first major scene it’s clear Calamity is not only the savior, warrior, and queen, but she’s also paraded as the highest/most powerful character in the book. While not always a terrible thing, I think anyone reading this can understand where the problem lies and it’s the presentation of the story. It’s fairly well written—though the author gives straights to Max that end up being for Ash, etc. At the bare bones, this book should be split up into two if not three to give some time to get used to the characters and actually allow Calamity the space to grow into a fully-fledged character ESPECIALLY given the fact she’s parade as the most powerful being in any “galaxy” let alone Earth—with no supporting pillars. I think the male characters being several different kind of beasts is also a clear indicator that the author couldn’t decide how many people there should be in the harem, what they should be, and ultimately where they wanted the story to end up. There is a mid-steam level when the scenes do happen, but it feels like they’re thrown in there just because and not for any other reason. I highly recommend that the author take some time to develop this story further and re-release it. It’s just not there yet. I do think it has some interesting elements though and would be a neat addition to the genre after the changes I suggested.
I want to preface this with: I don’t hate the book.
There are some elements to this story that if taken more time to develop and more editing they’d be amazing. The summary for this book hooked me and I was all for it. However, at best Calamity is a mary-sue godmodding the entirety of the book. The book starts off good, but by the time you get to the first major scene it’s clear Calamity is not only the savior, warrior, and queen, but she’s also paraded as the highest/most powerful character in the book. While not always a terrible thing, I think anyone reading this can understand where the problem lies and it’s the presentation of the story. It’s fairly well written—though the author gives straights to Max that end up being for Ash, etc. At the bare bones, this book should be split up into two if not three to give some time to get used to the characters and actually allow Calamity the space to grow into a fully-fledged character ESPECIALLY given the fact she’s parade as the most powerful being in any “galaxy” let alone Earth—with no supporting pillars. I think the male characters being several different kind of beasts is also a clear indicator that the author couldn’t decide how many people there should be in the harem, what they should be, and ultimately where they wanted the story to end up. There is a mid-steam level when the scenes do happen, but it feels like they’re thrown in there just because and not for any other reason. I highly recommend that the author take some time to develop this story further and re-release it. It’s just not there yet. I do think it has some interesting elements though and would be a neat addition to the genre after the changes I suggested.
December 6, 2020
The Burn of the Underworld (Of Shadows and Fire, Book 1) by Meg Xuemei X and narrated by Gwendolyn Druyor is a good story with decent narration. Recommend if you’re looking for a supernatural reverse harem. 4 stars all around.
Calamity is a female slave in the Underworld and has been concealing her identity since she was a child in order to avoid forced work into the brothel. Her brother is supposed to fight in the pits, but he is sick and she volunteers to take his place. During a fight it is revealed she is a female. From there, the story picks up and doesn’t let up. There are twists and turns that help make it stand out. I’m going to leave it at that due to spoilers. The focus is either on the story or on the sex and while it feels a tad disjointed, it’s still worth the listen. Initially I thought I wouldn’t make it through (it’s a bit slow to boot), but once it got going, I wanted to learn more and didn’t want to put the book down. The MC is turning out to be a strong female lead.
The narrator, Gwendolyn Druyor, is a decent narrator. Pace is good, emotions good. My only complaint is a couple of the voices, but maybe you’ll feel different.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and will be checking out the second book in the series.
Parental guidance/trigger warnings: The story takes place in the Underworld and it’s a reverse harem. Women are treated as sex slaves, anything goes, death, weapons, violence, sex (pretty graphically detailed), and other like things occur.
*I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you for allowing me to listen and review the book!
Calamity is a female slave in the Underworld and has been concealing her identity since she was a child in order to avoid forced work into the brothel. Her brother is supposed to fight in the pits, but he is sick and she volunteers to take his place. During a fight it is revealed she is a female. From there, the story picks up and doesn’t let up. There are twists and turns that help make it stand out. I’m going to leave it at that due to spoilers. The focus is either on the story or on the sex and while it feels a tad disjointed, it’s still worth the listen. Initially I thought I wouldn’t make it through (it’s a bit slow to boot), but once it got going, I wanted to learn more and didn’t want to put the book down. The MC is turning out to be a strong female lead.
The narrator, Gwendolyn Druyor, is a decent narrator. Pace is good, emotions good. My only complaint is a couple of the voices, but maybe you’ll feel different.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and will be checking out the second book in the series.
Parental guidance/trigger warnings: The story takes place in the Underworld and it’s a reverse harem. Women are treated as sex slaves, anything goes, death, weapons, violence, sex (pretty graphically detailed), and other like things occur.
*I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you for allowing me to listen and review the book!
July 25, 2021
DNF - quit at page 94
The books by this author tend to be hit or miss for me, so I wasn’t sure I was going to like this to start with, but thought I’d give it a try. There is no world building or maybe I should say “background” for how this starts or how the FMC is in the dimension of Hell. I didn’t get it, didn’t follow it, so it ended up feeling like just a lot of crazy ramblings. I needed some background, even if it’s the RH guys talking more about it, not just that she’s the missing princess, but why she’s the missing princess or how she ended up there or how they found out she’s there. As to characters, I didn’t like Calamity, she is an irritating character. I didn’t like Elijah (a Sváva archangel, whatever that is) either, he gave off a “thinks he’s better than everyone else” vibe. Maximus (a primordial vampire, whatever that means) was interesting if more likable of all the characters, but barely got any interactions with, then there’s Ash, the Fae prince, or almost just a “mention” of Merlin, the mage, to have much opinions on them. Sad, but my favorite part of the book was the tiger! LOL I just felt like this was all crammed together & still in rough draft form or something not a polished & finished book.
At my age (approaching 60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
The books by this author tend to be hit or miss for me, so I wasn’t sure I was going to like this to start with, but thought I’d give it a try. There is no world building or maybe I should say “background” for how this starts or how the FMC is in the dimension of Hell. I didn’t get it, didn’t follow it, so it ended up feeling like just a lot of crazy ramblings. I needed some background, even if it’s the RH guys talking more about it, not just that she’s the missing princess, but why she’s the missing princess or how she ended up there or how they found out she’s there. As to characters, I didn’t like Calamity, she is an irritating character. I didn’t like Elijah (a Sváva archangel, whatever that is) either, he gave off a “thinks he’s better than everyone else” vibe. Maximus (a primordial vampire, whatever that means) was interesting if more likable of all the characters, but barely got any interactions with, then there’s Ash, the Fae prince, or almost just a “mention” of Merlin, the mage, to have much opinions on them. Sad, but my favorite part of the book was the tiger! LOL I just felt like this was all crammed together & still in rough draft form or something not a polished & finished book.
At my age (approaching 60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
April 23, 2021
I honestly wanted this book to be way more than it was. I loved the idea of Calamity being this lost queen of Atlantis and the meshing of different fantasy tropes like fae worlds, the underworld, fallen angels, etc. But the plot was severely lacking, so much world building detail was missing and the characters were rushed together. While I don’t mind the idea of fated mates, it was unrealistic to expect a virgin, hardened, warrior trained, starved slave to instantly go head over heals for someone who really should’ve seemed like her mortal enemy. They hardly had any conversation at all before a cringy cherry popping counter fuck and instant feelings. The only thing she questioned was that she was going to be killed the next day so it couldn’t be “forever”. Calamity is supposed to be a badass warrior bitch queen, but that personality trope consistently fails throughout the book where she allows her men to just decide how things are going to be. She also never gives any of them shit for never calling her by the only name she’s known her entire life, she seemlessly starts allowing them to call her Ayanna which is just so strange to me. She’s a queen, she can keep her name if she wants.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2019
Calamity isnt your average woman. Hell, Calamity isnt average by any standard. She's fierce. She's loyal. Shes got a heart of gold, despite all she has endured.
No one knows who the real Calamity is, not even Calamity herself.
That is, Until 3 hot as sin men show up claiming she is the missing heir of a lost kingdom and that they and one other man are her fated mates.
Calamity has trust issues, as can be expected. So she runs the first chance she gets. But how far can she really get when she can never really escape the underworld?
Will her mates find her again?
Will she survive all that is thrown her way once everyone begins to discover who she really is?
This story was absolutely amazing. If your looking for a steamy read with lots of action and mystery, than You must read this one!
Meg X Xuemei is an incredible author! Each book she writes has such depth to it but this one, this one was on a whole new level of amazing! I cant wait to find out what happens next!
No one knows who the real Calamity is, not even Calamity herself.
That is, Until 3 hot as sin men show up claiming she is the missing heir of a lost kingdom and that they and one other man are her fated mates.
Calamity has trust issues, as can be expected. So she runs the first chance she gets. But how far can she really get when she can never really escape the underworld?
Will her mates find her again?
Will she survive all that is thrown her way once everyone begins to discover who she really is?
This story was absolutely amazing. If your looking for a steamy read with lots of action and mystery, than You must read this one!
Meg X Xuemei is an incredible author! Each book she writes has such depth to it but this one, this one was on a whole new level of amazing! I cant wait to find out what happens next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2019
The Burn of the Underworld is book 1 of the Of Shadows and Fire series. I purchased this book on Pre-order as I've enjoyed other stories by this author, but I wish I'd waited and read the "Look Inside" chapters first. The story had tons of potential, but I was disappointed by repetition (readers are smart, the writer doesn't need to keep repeating worldbuilding facts), Calamity's innocence in a cruel world made to sense, and her strange leaps of logic/assumption, while convenient didn't build the tension. The characters were interesting, but they lacked depth to make them stand out from other protagonists in this genre. I also feel the worldbuilding lacked complexity--it seemed chaotic. I would have loved to see this book after a strict editor took it in hand and cleaned up the repetition, but as it stands, it was a good effort but not a series I will continue to follow.
August 9, 2019
Not what I expected - far better 😳🙀😽
What I liked the most about this book is the course of the story. It made me want to read it until the end no matter what I had to do to achieve that.
Calamity is such a strong compassionate woman. Even though she possesses martial arts training and knows how to fight with weapons, she is still able to be so compassionate and down to earth.
Many books have heroines who let the abilities they have get to their heads or let the despair get them down, but Calamity fights for everyone and is still so easy to connect with.
So all in all, this is a book I could recommend to people who love fantasy with a little spark. But there IS a lot of intimacy in the book, so I could live without that, because a couple of chapters exclusively was about that. It kind of took the focus away from the plot, but if people are in to it, let them.
What I liked the most about this book is the course of the story. It made me want to read it until the end no matter what I had to do to achieve that.
Calamity is such a strong compassionate woman. Even though she possesses martial arts training and knows how to fight with weapons, she is still able to be so compassionate and down to earth.
Many books have heroines who let the abilities they have get to their heads or let the despair get them down, but Calamity fights for everyone and is still so easy to connect with.
So all in all, this is a book I could recommend to people who love fantasy with a little spark. But there IS a lot of intimacy in the book, so I could live without that, because a couple of chapters exclusively was about that. It kind of took the focus away from the plot, but if people are in to it, let them.
June 6, 2020
This book had good promise. I love the concept, but the execution wasn’t spot on.
The beginning of the book- I absolutely LOVED, and that’s what gave it 3 stars instead of 2. I love how she fought her way in the gladiator/slave battles and stood up to the king of the underworld. I love how she escaped with the two ladies who wanted to help her.
The middle and end, left a lot to desire. As the FMC, her brother/cousin, one lady, and her 2 mates go across the underworld to the portal where they can leave, things were solely focused on the “mating fever”. Don’t get me wrong, I love that the FMC was all about wanting to have sex with her mates, but for it to take precedent (in my eyes) over the story and them getting out of the underworld, wasn’t good. I will say that there were a few battles that they had to fight. But even in those, the FMC was ogling her mates.
The beginning of the book- I absolutely LOVED, and that’s what gave it 3 stars instead of 2. I love how she fought her way in the gladiator/slave battles and stood up to the king of the underworld. I love how she escaped with the two ladies who wanted to help her.
The middle and end, left a lot to desire. As the FMC, her brother/cousin, one lady, and her 2 mates go across the underworld to the portal where they can leave, things were solely focused on the “mating fever”. Don’t get me wrong, I love that the FMC was all about wanting to have sex with her mates, but for it to take precedent (in my eyes) over the story and them getting out of the underworld, wasn’t good. I will say that there were a few battles that they had to fight. But even in those, the FMC was ogling her mates.
May 13, 2019
I love Calamity! She is so protective of the people she cares about and she totally walked into that competition like a boss. I love the guys! All of them are so protective of her and warriors. What is up with Elijah? Like I am so confused by him, is he trying to be with her or trying to kill her? I don’t think he’s going to hurt her butt just what’s up with him? All of the different characters totally add to the book and the adventure. I definitely cannot wait to read book two and this is not the first time I’m reading books by this author. Meg is so creative, I love her world and characters and the characters personalities. They have so much action and romance. Everyone should just read her books. Meg Xuemei X you rock!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2019
The word choice and conversations were strange and weird sometimes. Especially when it comes to the sex scenes...
I mean WHAT is goin on with this section?: "“I have to go fast,” he said. “I have to fuck you hard. I can’t fight my primal male instincts.” He thrust so hard into me in the next few moments that pleasure blinded my vision."
"Primal male instincts" that was kinda lame and pretty much goes against the caring nature mates have for each other by not putting the other first. I mean Ash pretty much does not give Calamity any chance to say no before he starts to "fuck her hard"....
This novel had too much teenage level conversation to suit my taste but I liked where the story was heading in the beginning.
I mean WHAT is goin on with this section?: "“I have to go fast,” he said. “I have to fuck you hard. I can’t fight my primal male instincts.” He thrust so hard into me in the next few moments that pleasure blinded my vision."
"Primal male instincts" that was kinda lame and pretty much goes against the caring nature mates have for each other by not putting the other first. I mean Ash pretty much does not give Calamity any chance to say no before he starts to "fuck her hard"....
This novel had too much teenage level conversation to suit my taste but I liked where the story was heading in the beginning.
January 7, 2020
Good.
It was okay, the dialogue could have been better. I know that it is a 2 book series but there were instances were it felt too rushed. I did not feel it was realistic to have spent 20yrs as a slave, get told your a Princess and within a few sentences just accept it. I also don't think there needed to be so many reiterations on her lack of experience. However apart from some of those pet peeves I genuinely liked Calamity and her overall attitude even if she does come across like having two personalities. I wasnt particularly invested in this book I was hoping for a bit more of a lead up, we have to find and then rescue mate... get of boat....oh, there she is.
It wasn't a bad book but I just found it a bit hard to get through
It was okay, the dialogue could have been better. I know that it is a 2 book series but there were instances were it felt too rushed. I did not feel it was realistic to have spent 20yrs as a slave, get told your a Princess and within a few sentences just accept it. I also don't think there needed to be so many reiterations on her lack of experience. However apart from some of those pet peeves I genuinely liked Calamity and her overall attitude even if she does come across like having two personalities. I wasnt particularly invested in this book I was hoping for a bit more of a lead up, we have to find and then rescue mate... get of boat....oh, there she is.
It wasn't a bad book but I just found it a bit hard to get through
February 5, 2020
I really liked the storyline in The Burn of the Underworld. Calamity is a compelling heroine; her defense of the slave population of the Underworld is noble. Her fated mates are each sexy and fierce and likable in their committment to her. Their attraction is very hot - in a feral animal sort of way - that does work.
Until the actual sex. And then it doesn't. I've read a few of Meg X's books before and I'm not sure I ever noticed how awkward the sex scenes are. This may be a one off. The build up is steamy and then once it goes down there is just a bilge of every naughty porn phrase ever spoken jumbled together and spewed out in random order. It just didn't work succinctly with the rest of the story. Sex for sex's sake just isn't a winner for me.
Until the actual sex. And then it doesn't. I've read a few of Meg X's books before and I'm not sure I ever noticed how awkward the sex scenes are. This may be a one off. The build up is steamy and then once it goes down there is just a bilge of every naughty porn phrase ever spoken jumbled together and spewed out in random order. It just didn't work succinctly with the rest of the story. Sex for sex's sake just isn't a winner for me.
May 14, 2019
I am always happy to get a new series from this author. I really enjoy her strong female characters and the hot reverse harems.
This one features Calamity who never expected any life except that as a slave. When these men come to tell her she is a Queen, she is not sure what is happening. She wants to believe them but life has not been kind.
I think it is a very good start to the series and I look forward to learning more about how she ended up so far from home. You just are getting to know the characters but they have great chemistry already. There is lots of action and the story moves along at a good pace.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.
This one features Calamity who never expected any life except that as a slave. When these men come to tell her she is a Queen, she is not sure what is happening. She wants to believe them but life has not been kind.
I think it is a very good start to the series and I look forward to learning more about how she ended up so far from home. You just are getting to know the characters but they have great chemistry already. There is lots of action and the story moves along at a good pace.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.
May 16, 2019
*** No Spoilers ***
Very interesting! Meg has made a storyline that is unique and captivating. The characters and environment development are spectacular. Calamity is the female main character. She is a strong, fiery, extraordinary woman. There are 3 men that help Calamity. Ash is a fae shifter and very competitive. Max is half-time vampire and half-archangel. Max is merciless and protective. Elijah is full archangel and is cold and cunning. With the whole underworld after her, Calamity needs as much help as she can get.
I highly recommend this book/series. Looking forward to book 2!
*** I have Kindle Unlimited, and I used that service to read this book. ***
Very interesting! Meg has made a storyline that is unique and captivating. The characters and environment development are spectacular. Calamity is the female main character. She is a strong, fiery, extraordinary woman. There are 3 men that help Calamity. Ash is a fae shifter and very competitive. Max is half-time vampire and half-archangel. Max is merciless and protective. Elijah is full archangel and is cold and cunning. With the whole underworld after her, Calamity needs as much help as she can get.
I highly recommend this book/series. Looking forward to book 2!
*** I have Kindle Unlimited, and I used that service to read this book. ***
June 5, 2019
So much potential but not my cup of tea
I had high hopes for this one, the premise was interesting but delivery was lacking for me. A few times it seemed like the writer stopped for a while mid way and forgot what she had written? The way she referenced some things was like it should have been in another book,
like **spoilers**
Reminding us about how her druid mate had crafted her sword a chapter after she got it. Also stopping for a paragraph in the middle of a fight to wonder what he looks like and if she'll like him. Some of the other reviews of her being naive were spot on.
I had high hopes for this one, the premise was interesting but delivery was lacking for me. A few times it seemed like the writer stopped for a while mid way and forgot what she had written? The way she referenced some things was like it should have been in another book,
like **spoilers**
Reminding us about how her druid mate had crafted her sword a chapter after she got it. Also stopping for a paragraph in the middle of a fight to wonder what he looks like and if she'll like him. Some of the other reviews of her being naive were spot on.
June 12, 2019
Amazing!
This has been on my ‘to read’ list for a bit and I am so happy I finally got a chance to sit down and read it.
So there are some hidden gems if you have read some of Meg’s other series (which I enjoyed) but you don’t have to read them to understand this story.
Calamity grows up as a slave in the Underworld disguising herself as a boy. All of this changes the day her mates enter the Underworld to rescue her.
I really love the character building and Calamity. She is a super funny and strong MC. Her men are soooo awesome too! Definitely looking forward to book #2!
This has been on my ‘to read’ list for a bit and I am so happy I finally got a chance to sit down and read it.
So there are some hidden gems if you have read some of Meg’s other series (which I enjoyed) but you don’t have to read them to understand this story.
Calamity grows up as a slave in the Underworld disguising herself as a boy. All of this changes the day her mates enter the Underworld to rescue her.
I really love the character building and Calamity. She is a super funny and strong MC. Her men are soooo awesome too! Definitely looking forward to book #2!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews